Mine-car.



M. D. BLAND.

MINE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1915.

Patented Oct. 24:

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MATTHEW DELANY BLAND, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A-SSIGNOR OF ONE- lI-IIRD TO RICHARD BLAND AND ONE-THIRD T0 HULBERT BECK, BOTH OF PHILA- DELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINE-CAR.

Patented Get. 241, 1916..

Application fi1ed November 27, 1915. Serial No. 63,798.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW D. BLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mine- (Jars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mine cars, and to all classes of vehicles operating upon inclined trackways or surfaces; having for an object the provision of mechanism for preventing a car from running wild upon the trackway or surface when its connection with the hauling power thereof has been severed. r

In the operation of mine cars it is the common practice to place them upon inclined. trackways, their upward and down ward movement thereon being controlled by means of suitable cables. However, when a cable is placed under considerable tension, by the weight of loaded cars, it is very apt to break or part. This type of accident results in the uncontrolled move ment of said cars, due to gravitation, in a downward direction, which is generally accompanied by considerable damage to adjacent property and a menace to persons in the immediate vicinity. To overcome these defects there is provided a simple and effective stop mechanism for vehicles operating upon an inclined trackway or the like, said mechanism being connected with the propelling means of the vehicle so that when an accident occurs to the propelling means the stop mechanism will be automatically applied to prevent movement on the part of said vehicle. The invention resides in the feature of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a mine car, illustrating particularly the application of the preferred form of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the vehicle stopping attachment showing the hand lever in locked position.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by similar characters of reference.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the numeral 5 designates a trackway of any desired construction, the same comprising, in this instance, rails 6 and supporting ties 7. The rails 6 are preferably disposed in angular relation to a horizontal plane, the inclination thereof being regulated in accordance with the needs to which they are adapted. Mounted to run upon the rails 6 is a car or other Vehicle 8, the latter comprising the usual load receiving body 9 and supporting wheels 10 which operate upon the trackway 5.

It might be well to state that the above described parts are of the usual construction and do not comprise the present invention, the invention consisting primarily in an attachment for the car 8, but is not limited in its scope to this particular type, as it is applicable to other forms of vehicles or objects operable upon inclined trackways or surfaces.

The car 8 is particularly adapted for service in connection with mines being utilized for hauling ore and the like out of an inclined shaft. The car is propelled upon the trackway 5, by a pull imparted by a cable 11, the latter being connected with the car and actuated by suitable machinery (not shown). It frequently occurs, however, when the cable is subjected to great strains or wear, that the same will break or part, thereby permitting the car to run in an uncontrolled manner down the tracks 6 which results in damage being done to the surrounding property and frequently accompanied by loss of life.

In order to prevent the occurrence of the above described class of accident, the car 8 is provided on its under face with depending brackets 12, in which are journaled, for rotation, shafts 13 and 14:. The latter are formed with squared medial portions for the reception of similar shaped sockets 15, formed in stop arms 16. The arms extend in a diverging downward direction and the lower extremities thereof terminate a short distance above the ties 7. These arms 16 are adapted for engagement with said ties 7 upon the parting of the cable 11 in an effective method, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so as to stop the movement of the car 8 in a downward direction.

arms 16, the shaft 13 is provided with a crank 17, formed with the shaft. The crank 17 is connected with a permanent bracket 18, mounted upon the car 8, by a coiled contractile spring 19, the normal tendency of the spring beingto force the arms 16 into engagement with the ties 7.. A secondfcrank 20 is mounted upon the shaft 14 for movement therewith. This crank, however, extends in a direction diametrically oppositetothe crank on the shaft 13, and connecting said cranks l7 and 20 is a link 21. Also connected with the crank 20 at the outermost extremity thereof is a flexible cable 22 which extends over a pulley 23 mounted on the car 8, and is joined at its outer end to the cable 11 or its cooperating mechanism. It will thus be evident that when the cable 11 is in a taut position, or in other words, when pulling the car 8, a similar tension or pull is imparted to the cable 22 which in turn will rotate the shafts 13 and 14 through the medium of cranks 17 and 20 and their connecting link 21. The rotation of the shafts will elevate the arms 16 sufficiently to raise the same free of the ties 7, this position being clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the pull exerted by the cable 22 is of a strengthto overcome the action of the spring 19. 'While the arms 16 are in their elevated position the car 8 is free to operate upon the trackway 5, but if an accident should occur to the cable 11, the cooperating cable 22 will be left free for rearward movement and such movement will take place on account of the action of the spring 19. This permits the arm 16 to drop downwardly into engagement with the sides of the ties 7, in-

stantly stopping any rearward movement on part of the car 8. In order to limit said downward movement of the arms 16, the latter are provided with extensions 24 which coiiperate with a plate 25 secured to the under frame work 26 of the car 8. These elements insure the positive stopping of said car and augment the strength of the arms 16, A hand lever 27 is keyed to the shaft 13 on the outer side of the car 8 and is adapted to operate the arms 16 to assume their several positions irrespective of the cable 22. This feature is particularly desirable to lock said arms 16 in an elevated pos1tion when the car is bemg operated upon a horizontal stretch of trackway. A plate 28 cooperates with the lever 27 to retain the same in a set position, said lever being opferated manually.

The lug on the lever 27 is normally detached from the teeth so that the spring 19 may act when the cable 11 breaks, and the lever is capable of longitudinal movement on the shaft 13 so that such lever may be shifted laterally to engage the lug thereon with the teeth and disengage the lug from such teeth, the friction between the lower to oscillate synchronously-- "upon the bottom of the car end-of thelever 27 and the shaft acting to hold the lever in adjusted position so as to prevent accidental movement thereof.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided mechanism in which the objects of this invention are achieved and all the advantageous features above mentioned are, among others, present. The mechanism is positive in action, of few parts and of simple construction. The invention constitutes in fact, an attachment which can be readily applied to the usual form of mine car, now in common use, without resorting to changes in the present construction of the latter.

It will be noted that by providing two sets of stop arms 16, that the operation thereof will be identical regardless of the direction which the car 8 is traveling. This avoids the necessity of turning'the car around after it completes a one way trip.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is,

1. The combination with a car designed to traverse a trackway, of shafts journaled upon the bottom of the car transversely thereof, stop arms mounted upon each of said shafts and projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions to engage the ties of the trackway to hold the car against movement on the trackway, a spring connected to one of said shafts to move the arms to active position, and connections between said shafts whereby both of said shafts will be operated simultaneously, a hauling rope for the car, and a connection between said hauling rope and one of said shafts whereby said arms will be held against movement under the action of said spring.

2. The combination with a car designed to traverse a trackway, of shafts journaled transversely thereof, stop arms mounted upon each of said shafts and projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions to engage the ties of the trackway to hold the car against movement on the trackway, a spring connected to one of said shafts to move the arms to active position, connections between said shafts whereby both of said shafts will be operated simultaneously, a hauling rope for the car, a connection between said hauling rope and one of said shafts whereby said arms will be held against movement under the action of said spring, and cooperating means on the upper ends of said arms and on the bottom of the car to take the pressure of the arms when the latter are in active position.

3. The combination with a car designed to traverse a trackway, of shafts journaled upon the bottom of the car transversely thereof, stop arms mounted upon each of said shafts and projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions to engage the ties of the trackway to hold the car against movement on the track- Way, a spring connected to one of said shafts to move the arms to active position, connections between said shafts whereby both of said shafts will be operated simultaneously, a hauling rope for the car, a connection between said hauling rope and one of said shafts whereby said arms will be held against movement under the action of said spring, cooperating means on the upper ends of said arms and on the bottom of the car to take the pressure of the arms When the latter are in active position, and hand operated means for rotating said shafts inde pendently of said spring and hauling rope.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MATTHEW DELANY BLAND.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. GEYER, WILLIAM F. WETZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

